Road tripping in a Ferrari 488 GTB: Worth the wait

661-horsepower, very clever aerodynamics, and a joy to drive even at legal speeds.

Although we usually pay for our own travel expenses, for this trip, Ferrari provided a night's accommodation in Stockbridge, Massachusetts.

Video edited by Jennifer Hahn.

LAKEVILLE, Conn.—Anyone lucky enough to be shopping for a mid-engined supercar in 2017 has quite the array of possibilities before them. There's the Lamborghini Huracán, now also available with just rear-wheel drive. McLaren has its new 720S, the follow-up to the sublime 650S we were so smitten with.

But the 800-pound gorilla in the supercar market is Ferrari. It might not have been the first Italian company to stick a powerful engine behind the cockpit and wrap it all up in a pretty shape, but 70 years of heritage on and off the racetrack have imbued the brand with unimpeachable credentials. Now that we've finally had a chance to test its 488 GTB, a 661-horsepower (493kW) V8-powered sculpture on wheels, was it worth the wait?

After several attempts to secure a shiny 488 from Ferrari's press fleet, the call finally came early in July. Ferrari had a car for us, with one catch: we had to drive it from its New Jersey headquarters to Lime Rock Park in Connecticut—which would be playing host to the IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship—and back. It wasn't a hard choice to make, even taking into account the midnight train we'd need to get back to DC. While at Lime Rock, we'd get a chance to spend some time with the Scuderia Corsa team, currently battling for the championship in IMSA's GTD class—which you can read about in the accompanying article.

I must confess, I was a little apprehensive when we arrived in New Jersey. Driving someone else's supercar is quite a responsibility. There's the hefty price tag; a 488 GTB starts at $245,000, but once the options list got involved the car we drove tipped the scales at $346,739. Then there's the nature of the drive. New York has some very scenic parkways, ideal you'd think for this kind of vehicle, with its flowing turns and good sight lines.

But last year's Focus RS drive earned me a speeding ticket on one such road, an occasion that taught me two valuable lessons: a brightly colored car will stand out like a sore thumb to the highway patrol, and the parkway speed limits are much lower than you think (or the flow of traffic suggests).

And finally, there was the car itself. The 488 has received rave reviews, but often in the context of its behavior on track. For road trips, surely the front-engined California T, 812 Superfast, or FF would be more suitable; those cars are meant to eat the miles, and this one is meant to eat lap times. Denied a chance to strut its stuff on a circuit, could the mid-engined 488 shine while doing mundane things like drive along at the speed limit, carrying two people and their luggage in some degree of comfort?

As it turned out, I needn't have been worried.

The Ferrari 488 GTB.

Jonathan Gitlin

It's an attractive shape, but aerodynamics are a big part of why it looks the way it does.

Jonathan Gitlin

The heart of the 488 GTB is this, a 3.9L twin-turbo direct injection V8. It puts out 661hp and 561lb-ft of torque, revving out to 8,000rpm.

Jonathan Gitlin

We weren't the only ones lucky enough to drive a 488 to Lime Rock and back. The blue car at the end is the 488 Spider; the red one on the right is another 488 GTB.

Jonathan Gitlin

The car turned out to be much less scary and a lot more drivable than you'd expect.

Jonathan Gitlin

The front is dominated by the spoiler and aero pillars, which control the airflow around and under the car. At 150 mph, it generates significant downforce.

Buy the engine, get the car for free?

Back in the olden days, people used to say that Mr. Ferrari would sell you an engine and you'd get the rest of the car for free. While that hasn't been the case for some time, let's start with a look at that engine. It's one that has caused a little controversy.

Further Reading

Ferrari is not immune to trends in the wider auto industry, particularly the move to downsized, forced-induction engines. Turbochargers currently offer the best route to a compact, powerful engine with acceptable economy and emissions characteristics, and so the old 458's 4.4L, naturally aspirated V8—with its 9,000rpm red line and the mechanical symphony that resulted—is gone. In its place is a 90-degree, 3.9L twin-turbo V8 that's closely related to the engine in the California T and, minus two cylinders, the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio. (Each cylinder has a volume of 488ml, hence the car's name.) It features direct gasoline injection and variable valve timing while using a flat-plane crankshaft. The turbochargers are a twin-scroll, water-cooled design supplied by IHI, the same company that provided the blowers for the legendary 288 GTO and F40.

Enlarge/ Why have art on your walls when you can have exhaust manifolds?

Elle Cayabyab Gitlin

So despite a loss of 597ml—1.2 pints here in America—the F154 CB (as it's known) produces a lot more power than the engine it replaces: 660hp vs. 562hp (419kW). While statistics like the amount of power an engine makes for a given volume are usually meaningless outside of bench racing at the water cooler (or an Internet forum), the 448's engine generates 170hp/L, something that Ferrari says makes it the highest specific output engine it has ever built. The 448 will probably keep that title until the company soups it up some more for the inevitable hardcore version that usually arrives halfway through a Ferrari supercar's product cycle.

Going the forced-induction route has delivered even greater benefits with regard to the engine's torque. With 561lb-ft (760Nm) available, the 488 has a hefty 40-percent more torque than the old car. What's more, it makes all that torque at just 3,000rpm, a huge contrast to the old naturally aspirated V8, which needed 6,000rpm on the tachometer before it hit 398lb-ft (540Nm).

However, as with the California T, you only get the full amount of torque in seventh gear. In the lower gear ratios, the gearbox employs what Ferrari calls "Variable Torque Management." Boost pressure is reduced, depending upon the selected gear, giving one torque curve for first through third, then steadily increasing curves in the next gears, topping out at about 516lb-ft (700Nm). (For a graphical illustration, check out this slide at Pistonheads.)

As we'll see, Ferrari's variable torque management is just one example of how the company uses electronics and algorithms to help the driver out, whether that be in outright performance or the more subjective qualities like drivability and predictable handling.

Love coming to Ars and seeing a 3 page review WITH video on a (mostly) new Ferrari. Warms my little heart. As usual, excellent write-up on the tech that makes this beast perform its magic. Supercars and tech... my favorite stuff all in one <3 Future Bugatti Chiron review in the works I hope???

I saw a Ferrari 488GTB parked at a local Chinese buffet restaurant no license plate and in my small town it's unheard of to see a Ferrari although there are few Porsche, one Audi R8 V10 convertible (NHL player), one or two Lamborghini. It's amazing how much more exotic a Ferrari looks compared to those other cars.

There was a steady crowd around the car taking pictures and selfies.

I have no idea who owned the car or would dare park it in a busy mall parking lot next to a Chinese food restaurant on the main street of the town. I went back later and it was gone too bad I wish I could have heard it start up and drive away.

That bonnet design is pretty weird. From most angles (in the photos) it looks like it's crooked and doesn't close properly.Anyway, there's something about the sound of a roaring engine that can't quite be replaced even by raw but quiet acceleration.

Although we usually pay for our own travel expenses, for this trip, Ferrari provided a night's accommodation in Stockbridge, Massachusetts.

While the disclosure is appreciated, one imagines that a free night in the Red Lion Stockbridge pales in comparison to the influential power of Ferrari's grant of 268 free miles in their $347,000 supercar.

Although we usually pay for our own travel expenses, for this trip, Ferrari provided a night's accommodation in Stockbridge, Massachusetts.

While the disclosure is appreciated, one imagines that a free night in the Red Lion Stockbridge pales in comparison to the influential power of Ferrari's grant of 268 free miles in their $347,000 supercar.

Based on rental prices, the hotel was worth way less than the free ride was. Costs $1,110 - $1,300 per day to rent a Ferrari 458.

Let me offer myself as a target for the down-voters: I don't see the point of articles about vehicles pretty much none of the Ars readership will every drive, let alone purchase, unless there's some technological breakthrough that will be available in affordable cars.

You may as well read a review about a restaurant, situated in a place you'll never go to. And anyways the place burned down four years ago, and the chef died, leaving no heirs.

I believe the point is that it's an article about some great engineering. Ars has done many articles on super computers the average person will never possess with similar intent, that being "check out this cool thing".

Nice article. So it's *almost* as easy to drive through NY as a Prius, but much more fun when you're out of town. I would hope so ... and no tickets this time?

18mpg is, as noted, pretty good for a supercar especially a non-hybrid. You could do better with a 'Vette but probably not a lot, especially with one optioned up to have similar performance.

Finally, and almost totally off-topic, it's interesting that Ferrari uses displacement numbering (now? is this new?). 488 (ml) as the cylinder volume ... similar concept on a totally different scale in EMD locomotives, where the engine lines are designated based on cylinder volume in cubic inches: 567, 645, 710, etc.

I saw a Ferrari 488GTB… I have no idea who owned the car or would dare park it in a busy mall parking lot next to a Chinese food restaurant on the main street of the town.

Was this on the West Coast? One thing happening out here is the effect of the rich in China who have gotten ludicrously wealthy with the money we gave them to manufacture our ThinkPads and iPhones and fidget spinners. They have so much money they literally do not know what to do with it, part of the reason West Coast housing prices are high is the documented effect of the Chinese parking their wealth by buying up residential real estate all over the place. When their kids get to college age, they send them to an expensive American university, buy a nice big house or condo in Vancouver or Seattle or San Francisco for their kid to stay in, and get them a luxury vehicle to tool around in…only the best for our kid, right?

Edit: Am I getting downvotes because of the above paragraph? I'm not being racist, if that's what you're thinking. The effects are documented by reliable news sources...I am solidly against both racism and fake news:

In Victoria, BC’s Chinatown I saw a parked silver Maserati, basically chrome from end to end, a car that was as loud visually as it was sonically. We wondered who owned it, and then out of a little shop came a very young, smartly dressed Chinese girl carrying a tiny dog. She got in the car and thundered off.

Let me offer myself as a target for the down-voters: I don't see the point of articles about vehicles pretty much none of the Ars readership will every drive, let alone purchase, unless there's some technological breakthrough that will be available in affordable cars. You may as well read a review about a restaurant, situated in a place you'll never go to.

But that logic doesn’t scale to the rest of the site. Almost no Ars readers are ever going to pilot a reusable spacecraft or a jet fighter, or power up a supercollider for some research. But we aren’t going to ask Ars not to write about that stuff. I’m not even a supercar enthusiast myself.

Let me offer myself as a target for the down-voters: I don't see the point of articles about vehicles pretty much none of the Ars readership will every drive, let alone purchase, unless there's some technological breakthrough that will be available in affordable cars.

You may as well read a review about a restaurant, situated in a place you'll never go to. And anyways the place burned down four years ago, and the chef died, leaving no heirs.

I believe the point is that it's an article about some great engineering. Ars has done many articles on super computers the average person will never possess with similar intent, that being "check out this cool thing".

What, you don't own a supercomputer? A DNA sequencer? Surely, you own a particle collider. Surely...

... I don't see the point of articles about vehicles pretty much none of the Ars readership will every drive, let alone purchase ...

I beg to differ.

Edit: Corrected the attribution. Sorry.

I own a 1989 328 GTS. Great car, drove it to work everyday. Regardless of how crappy the day in corporate America was I was smiling in 5mins or less. I knew that the 488 GTB wouldn't disappoint in regular traffic. Mine is a breeze to drive even in city traffic.

Second is 1979 400. Also great. But a touring sedan. Different experience, but V12 with Webers.

Considering the Ars crowd, one suspects that an engineer from a startup might well put their name in the hat to pick a 488 up. Once the IPO pays out anyway. ;-)

Nice article. So it's *almost* as easy to drive through NY as a Prius, but much more fun when you're out of town. I would hope so ... and no tickets this time?

18mpg is, as noted, pretty good for a supercar especially a non-hybrid. You could do better with a 'Vette but probably not a lot, especially with one optioned up to have similar performance.

Finally, and almost totally off-topic, it's interesting that Ferrari uses displacement numbering (now? is this new?). 488 (ml) as the cylinder volume ... similar concept on a totally different scale in EMD locomotives, where the engine lines are designated based on cylinder volume in cubic inches: 567, 645, 710, etc.

Check out their history. Until mid life of Ferrari the displacement per cylinder was normal. 400 sedan, clearly 12cyl so 4.8L.

The 308 series changed the convention, 3.0L V8. Turbos sometimes threw it out as well.

Although we usually pay for our own travel expenses, for this trip, Ferrari provided a night's accommodation in Stockbridge, Massachusetts.

While the disclosure is appreciated, one imagines that a free night in the Red Lion Stockbridge pales in comparison to the influential power of Ferrari's grant of 268 free miles in their $347,000 supercar.

Based on rental prices, the hotel was worth way less than the free ride was. Costs $1,110 - $1,300 per day to rent a Ferrari 458.

I rented a 458 italia once in Austin for three days. Lots of fun, but make sure you take a lot of photos and document the condition inside and out, because they tried to blame and make us pay for every little thing.

Nice article. So it's *almost* as easy to drive through NY as a Prius, but much more fun when you're out of town. I would hope so ... and no tickets this time?

18mpg is, as noted, pretty good for a supercar especially a non-hybrid. You could do better with a 'Vette but probably not a lot, especially with one optioned up to have similar performance.

Finally, and almost totally off-topic, it's interesting that Ferrari uses displacement numbering (now? is this new?). 488 (ml) as the cylinder volume ... similar concept on a totally different scale in EMD locomotives, where the engine lines are designated based on cylinder volume in cubic inches: 567, 645, 710, etc.

Check out their history. Until mid life of Ferrari the displacement per cylinder was normal. 400 sedan, clearly 12cyl so 4.8L.

The 308 series changed the convention, 3.0L V8. Turbos sometimes threw it out as well.

You had me smiling the whole time. Even a touch nostalgic. There is just 'something' about the combination of grace, power and sound that lies beyond the reach of sensible mortals. A beast of a machine, just waiting for you to turn that little dial... Beautiful engineering, beautiful car!

That's why on Youtube, Everyday Driver is such a great channel. They review cars that avg folks can afford to drive. This site is completely disconnected with the visitors. ~90% of folks here never seen the Ferrari 488 before nor will they ever have the chance to own one so this article is REALLY USEFUL!

Don't listen to the haters. I'm happy to see drive reviews of cars like this even though that's way out of my price range, costing several times more than my Model S did. It's about the appreciation of great driving machines (and by this I definitely do NOT mean BMW) and appreciating the ultimate evolutions what may truly be the last generations of the internal combustion engine.

That's why on Youtube, Everyday Driver is such a great channel. They review cars that avg folks can afford to drive. This site is completely disconnected with the visitors. ~90% of folks here never seen the Ferrari 488 before nor will they ever have the chance to own one so this article is REALLY USEFUL!

I could name a bunch of things you probably follow but will never attain. Sports championships are probably the most common. For most of us articles like these are a form of entertainment, sort of like movies about heroic guys we'll never be who fight evil enemies we'll never have and rescue hot babes we'll never meet. Life is full of dreams.

P.S. You can rent cars like these, and the cost isn't unattainable for most people.

Was this on the West Coast? One thing happening out here is the effect of the rich in China who have gotten ludicrously wealthy with the money we gave them to manufacture our ThinkPads and iPhones and fidget spinners. They have so much money they literally do not know what to do with it, part of the reason West Coast housing prices are high is the documented effect of the Chinese parking their wealth by buying up residential real estate all over the place. When their kids get to college age, they send them to an expensive American university, buy a nice big house or condo in Vancouver or Seattle or San Francisco for their kid to stay in, and get them a luxury vehicle to tool around in…only the best for our kid, right?

Edit: Am I getting downvotes because of the above paragraph? I'm not being racist, if that's what you're thinking. The effects are documented by reliable news sources...I am solidly against both racism and fake news:

Here's an amusing anecdote... Earlier this year, I dropped into MCL to get some literature about Range Rovers. I got into a conversation with a sales guy about the kid who bought the Aston Martin Rapide S (purchased at MCL, mentioned in one of the news links above). The kid (or rather, his Dad) had bought a string of fancy cars before settling on the Bentley. After wrecking the Bentley, his Dad got him an Audi R8. After a couple of weeks, the kid ended up buying the Rapide because... get this... the R8 was too slow!

That's why on Youtube, Everyday Driver is such a great channel. They review cars that avg folks can afford to drive. This site is completely disconnected with the visitors. ~90% of folks here never seen the Ferrari 488 before nor will they ever have the chance to own one so this article is REALLY USEFUL!

What rule says that every Ars article must be "really useful?"

If Ars was the only source for automotive coverage, you may have a point, but as you cite, there are plenty of places where coverage of more mundane vehicles can be found.

Ferraris are aspirational vehicles, and some may enjoy the small bit of indulgence provided in reading about them, even if they'll never encounter or own one.

Not every Ferrari is a classic, or ne plus ultra on an objective, or sometimes even subjective level, but if you go to enough events where people who know and appreciate cars, it's still one of the most revered marques in the world, and part of a very short list. That makes them of interest, and worthy of coverage from whomever is willing to provide it.

People will still be gathering to see, and enjoy cars such as this fifty years from now. They won't be flocking to see Priuses, or Civics, to name a couple examples, even if the vast majority of them won't end up reincarnated as garden tools, or other steel products once they've been retired from service.

I saw a Ferrari 488GTB parked at a local Chinese buffet restaurant no license plate and in my small town it's unheard of to see a Ferrari although there are few Porsche, one Audi R8 V10 convertible (NHL player), one or two Lamborghini. It's amazing how much more exotic a Ferrari looks compared to those other cars.

There was a steady crowd around the car taking pictures and selfies.

I have no idea who owned the car or would dare park it in a busy mall parking lot next to a Chinese food restaurant on the main street of the town. I went back later and it was gone too bad I wish I could have heard it start up and drive away.

I agree. It looks like the Ferrari is designed by a stylist while others may be drawn by an engineer (or a cartoonist for the Lambo).

That's why on Youtube, Everyday Driver is such a great channel. They review cars that avg folks can afford to drive. This site is completely disconnected with the visitors. ~90% of folks here never seen the Ferrari 488 before nor will they ever have the chance to own one so this article is REALLY USEFUL!

We could have two auto review "channels" in Ars. One for these dream cars that we'll never buy, and one for cars we may want to buy. Basically as for the rest of the web site: I'll never fly a rocket but I love reading on rocket science progress. Dream cars channel may become more excessive (inspired by the good old days of Top Gear) and the dull cars channel more technical and factual.

It's not because they all have 4 wheels that they serve the same purpose.

Let me offer myself as a target for the down-voters: I don't see the point of articles about vehicles pretty much none of the Ars readership will every drive, let alone purchase, unless there's some technological breakthrough that will be available in affordable cars.

You may as well read a review about a restaurant, situated in a place you'll never go to. And anyways the place burned down four years ago, and the chef died, leaving no heirs.

I believe the point is that it's an article about some great engineering. Ars has done many articles on super computers the average person will never possess with similar intent, that being "check out this cool thing".

What, you don't own a supercomputer? A DNA sequencer? Surely, you own a particle collider. Surely...

Small distinction: news != review.

News (for everybody): There's this new supercomputer and it has cores, RAMs, softwares, FLOPS, and lots more. Here's a link to the manufacturer where you can see all this in more detail.Review (mostly for potential buyers): There's this new supercomputer and this is what you should know about it based on our objective hands on testing and maybe even the subjective practical experience with it.

Cars are pretty much the most expensive product a mainstream site can review. They're at the upper limit of what someone would pay for based on what they read on a site like Ars. But still at the point where a handful of people that might afford it can be swayed into buying one instead of something else. Ferrari sells ~1000 488s per year (US+EU) and many of the buyers can simply afford to buy one "on a whim" or will go for a consultant to tell them what to buy. So swaying a few of the other type of buyer towards it might be worth the effort.

This being said I have nothing against a review of anything as long as it's done right. Ars can review the Yacht History Supreme if they wish to. People can just read only what matters to them.